
... and time to reflect on the past year....
H/T to Kat
Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell
January 2009
Shenandoah National Park
The Nielsen numbers are in for 2010, and in the battle for cable news ratings supremacy, Fox News took the title for the ninth year in a row -- bludgeoning the competition for another year.Fair and balanced ... they must be doing something right!
The blowout comes on the heels on Fox News’ surging 2009, when the News Corp.-owned channel posted its highest-rated year in the network’s 13-year history. (Overall, cable news audiences were down across the board -- though FNC's decline was from a high-water mark.)
Governor’s Transportation Funding Plan a Positive Next Step in Building Comprehensive Plan for Transportation Improvements According to Virginia Business Associations
The infusion of dependable, dedicated transportation funds is critical to putting Virginia’s transportation program on a sound financial footing and ensuring sustained economic growth.
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell has proposed investing $4 billion to accelerate road, transit and rail projects in the Commonwealth over the next three years.
Fully implemented and prudently invested, the Governor's proposals can add much needed capacity to Virginia’s transportation network, put more people to work and improve our economy.
We believe that creative use of existing revenues to capitalize the proposed Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Bank and the prudent use of bonds will help address the Commonwealth's chronic transportation infrastructure needs.
Using bonds, in this limited manner, will allow the Commonwealth to leverage and make some of its scarce transportation resources go further. All bonds proposed will use debt allocations already authorized under current Virginia law. The bond packages will be serviced by current existing revenue streams. The use of toll credits will leverage these dollars and will free-up state revenues that will fund new projects. This is smart management and the prudent use of existing revenues.
Still, Virginia's aging infrastructure requires at least $1 billion a year in new, recurring revenues. Governor McDonnell has stated he understands that his initiative is a short-term infusion of funds into a system that over the long-term requires new dedicated and sustainable revenues. On December 17, 2010 the Governor told the General Assembly money committees that “I've talked a little about bipartisan successes in economic development and budgeting; well transportation funding is a bipartisan failure.” We agree.
The Commonwealth must invest additional funds into its transportation system. We appreciate Governor McDonnell's proposals to jump-start a number of critical transportation projects that will put many Virginians back to work as well as his ongoing commitment to secure a long-term funding solution for the Commonwealth. We look forward to continuing to work with and help him fulfill that commitment to the citizens of the Commonwealth.
High temperatures will struggle to reach 30 degrees on Monday with gradually clearing and very windy conditions. Overnight lows will fall into the mid to upper teens under clear skies. High winds continue into Tuesday making temperatures feel like they are in the teens. We stay cold to start the work week with cloud cover. By the middle of the week we're warming up with temperatures above average into the mid and upper 40s!Looks as if warmer termperatures may be on tap for the weekend just in time to celebrate New Year's....
For someone who mangled words on a regular basis, it's an impressive feat.That's a lot of GWB books under Christmas trees including, I hope, mine since it was on my Christmas wish list.
Former U.S. President George W Bush's memoir has sold an astonishing two million copies since it was released in early November - and it's not even in paperback yet.
'Decision Points', published both in hardcover and e-book form, is flying off the shelves, the Crown Publishing Group says.
...
A spokesman for Crown called the performance remarkable.
He claimed he could not think of any other hardcover nonfiction books in 2010 that had sold even one million copies, much less two.
Graham and his son, Franklin, had lunch with the Bushes before the book signing.With so many naysayers throughout the years and a negative press corps that would not build up his accomplishments at a time when the country was dealing with terrorism, the success of "Decision Points" has to put a smile on GWB's face though he would never mention it.
The evangelist, who was in a wheelchair, hugged the former president before leaving them in the library book store for the signings. The former president has been on tour signing copies of his book "Decision Points." Laura Bush was signing copies of her book, "Spoken From the Heart."
...
Bush credits Billy Graham with helping him follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Franklin Graham said his father played a role in helping turn around Bush's life -- a decision recounted in the president's new book.
“By Wednesday, we knew we did not have enough time to prepare [a program to perform for the Christmas program],” James Barthelman, a fifth grade teacher at the school, said. “So Thursday, I was kind of pacing around the room and thought, let’s just video tape it.”The class filmed video for three days, involving many in the community, and ended up with 100 clips that were edited by Mr. Barthelman into a final video.
“So we just sat down as a class and brainstormed a bunch of ideas.”
After the brainstorming session, where the class determined how they wanted the video to look and some of the places where they should record, they settled on a creatively edited, card flipping version of the chorus.
Though organizing that many cards and people, the group, Barthelman included, proved it was up to the challenge of creating and organizing the cards that are used throughout the video.
“I had to stand there and sing the songs, I don’t know how many times,” Mr. Barthelman said, describing how the class was able to time the flipping of the cards to the song.
When I'm worried and I can't sleepThe basis of the whole story is the two Army buddies (Crosby and Kaye), successful in the music industry, who take their stage show to their WW II General's failing Vermont inn as gratitude to the "old" man.
I count my blessings instead of sheep
And I fall asleep counting my blessings
When my bankroll is getting small
I think of when I had none at all
And I fall asleep counting my blessings
I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads
And one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds
If you're worried and you can't sleep
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings
'Twas the night before Christmas and out on the ranch
The pond was froze over and so was the branch.
The snow was piled up belly-deep to a mule.
The kids were all home on vacation from school.
And happier young folks you never did see --
Just all sprawled around a-watchin' TV.
Then suddenly, some time around 8 o'clock,
There came a surprise that gave them a shock!
The power went off, the TV went dead!
When Grandpa came in from out in the shed
With an armload of wood, the house was all dark.
"Just what I expected," they heard him remark.
"Them power line wires must be down from the snow.
Seems sorter like times on the ranch long ago."
"I'll hunt up some candles," said Mom. "With their light,
And the fireplace, I reckon we'll make out all right."
The teenagers all seemed enveloped in gloom.
Then Grandpa came back from a trip to his room,
Uncased his old fiddle & started to play
That old Christmas song about bells on a sleigh.
Mom started to sing, and first thing they knew
Both Pop and the kids were all singing it, too.
They sang Christmas carols, they sang "Holy Night,"
Their eyes all a-shine in the ruddy firelight.
They played some charades Mom recalled from her youth,
And Pop read a passage from God's Book of Truth.
They stayed up till midnight and, would you believe,
The youngsters agreed 'twas a fine Christmas Eve.
Grandpa rose early, some time before dawn;
And when the kids wakened, the power was on.
"The power company sure got the line repaired quick,"
Said Grandpa -- and no one suspected his trick.
Last night, for the sake of some old-fashioned fun,
He had pulled the main switch - the old Son-of-a-Gun!
-Anonymous
Politifact, a project of the St. Petersburg Times, has declared as the Lie of the Year, "A government takeover of healthcare." This is a deeply silly choice, dubbing an imprecise overstatement "a lie." The Wall Street Journal has a good response, which points out that the White House has hopped onto Politifact's horse.After busting the Politifact "Lie of the Year," Mr. Carney goes on to bust Politifact:
...I have my own [nominee for lie of the year]:In the Virginia conservative blogosphere, there have been increasing questions about Politifact's bias. Many raised eyebrows when George Allen's comment, "The new Congress must repeal and cutoff any additional money borrowed and set aside for Obama, Reid and Pelosi’s $1.2 trillion stimulus spending bill," was rated as "Pants on Fire."
"We have excluded lobbyists from policymaking jobs." Barack Obama, 2010 State of the Union.
Guess what? Obama by that point had already hired nearly 50 former lobbyists for policymaking jobs, including four in his Cabinet. I asked the White House to square the facts with Obama's claim. They gave me this Clintonian response: "we have turned away lobbyists for many, many positions."
The emperor has no clothes, and our "watchdogs" are focusing their fire on Wisconsin congressional candidate Rebecca Kleefisch. It's embarrassing.
Really, fellas? It’s not news to me or anyone else who closely followed the Obamnibus debate. In fact, it came right from the Congressional Budget Office (CNN Money):Writers from Red State, Newsbusters, American Spectator, and others have also questioned the findings of this journalistic watch dog. Politifact appears to be proving that it is no more than another of the Democrats' allies in the mainstream media.
The long-term cost of the $825 billion economic recovery package before Congress could rise to $1.2 trillion over 10 years, a top budget official said Tuesday.Way to “check it out,” guys.
That’s because the government will borrow to fund the plan and pay an estimated $347 billion in interest, Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf told the House Budget Committee on Tuesday.
Now, to be fair, the PF guys were led astray by an Allen staffer, who sent them somewhere else and didn’t emphasize the interest-on-debt issue. Still, it’s not as if the $1.2T figure had vanished into the ether. The House Republicans used it just last month.
Politifact? More like Politifail.
... a large audience is not necessarily an active audience.That along with tremendous book sales for "Decision Points" makes a nice Christmas present for GWB! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Though fewer than 640,000 Facebook users have "Liked" former President George W. Bush's Facebook page, these users tend to interact more with posts than fans of Obama's page do, according to a new report.
Engage, a political analysis and strategy agency focusing on new media, reports the following statistics from a study of popular Facebook posts:On average, President Obama's last 10 posts have been liked an average of 11,579 times, to Bush's 6,655 times. That works out to more than 1% of Bush's fan base interacting with his page on any given post. For President Obama, it works out to a pretty weak 0.07% fan interaction rate -- and a 13-fold advantage for Bush on that score.
"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill towards men.'How much richer we are for Charles Schulz standing by his principles! Merry Christmas to Charlie Brown, Linus, and the rest of the Peanuts gang.
"That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."
These are my mother's memories of the Miller & Rhoads Christmas windows and the "real" Santa. My previous post was a remembrance as a child of the Christmas windows of downtown Richmond in years past and visits to Miller & Rhoads to see Santa. Last Christmas I asked Mom to flesh out the memories for me and this is what she wrote. Originally posted in December 2009....The "real Santa" was at Miller & Rhoads and their 7th floor was Santa Land. Do you remember that the line of children moved up and waited for Santa by the Snow Queen who sat to Santa's right? She greeted every boy and girl and chatted with them - and always asked each one his or her name. Santa had an earpiece on and as a child was leaving him, the Snow Queen would say the next child's name and tell each one to go over and talk with Santa ... so the name of each child was passed on to Santa by her.